Pádraig McCrory gives career update following “painful” first defeat

It’s the scars you don’t see.

Pádraig McCrory admits he still feels the pain of his sole career defeat suffered earlier this year.

‘The Hammer’ was given his chance at the top table when he took on Edgar Berlanga but ultimately suffered a first career defeat after visiting the canvas, also for the first time.

It seems the physical wounds of that defeat have been healed but the emotional ones still need some licking.

Despite only losing against a soon-to-be Canelo Alvarez foe and at the top of the ladder, the Belfast fighter says it’s a reverse that still stings and one that still pains him months later.

“I am quite deep and an emotional man. I take things thick. So I took it bad, and it still hurts. I put on a front and all, but it does hurt,” he told Belfast Live.

“There are still people liking videos from the fight, and it brings it all back. I still haven’t watched the full fight back. I have watched the clips of how it ended, and the main talking points in the fight.

“It is not easy, and I didn’t take it well. It was my first time in my career in fighting and sparring that I have ever being dropped. And it was on the biggest stage in front of millions of people, which highlights it more.

“I was back to work within a week of the fight. It was either head away for a bit or stand up and deal with it, which is what I did. Seeing my family and friends.

“My pride is still hurting. Even in my son’s school, some of his mates were teasing him with comments like ‘your daddy got beat’ and things like that. Even though kids are so innocent, it is still painful.”

McCrory strongly considered retirement post that defeat and has moved into fight management.

If he did exit stage left, the working class hero could do so, holding his head high – although he has decided not to hang them up just yet.

A proposed August 3rd clash won’t happen but McCrory is hoping for 50-50 action before the year is out.

“I have had plenty of time to reflect. Obviously, things didn’t go my way, but I had a great experience headlining a Matchroom card in America, live on DAZN. I didn’t think my performance was great, and it is something I have to take on board.

“But all in all I think in years to come it will be something I will look back on and say ‘I did that’. When I started out in my pro career I never expected to achieve what I have.

“When I started my pro career in 2017, realistically I thought main event in the Devenish for an Irish title would have been my ceiling. And as the years went on and the fights came along, I re-evaluated things. I have achieved much more than I ever dreamed of.

“I have headlined in Belfast, Germany and America and won a world title. So my career has been good, and I believe I did myself and my family proud.

“But I will be back. I was hoping to fight Luke Keeler on the Conlan Boxing Bill in Belfast on August 3rd, but I am not sure that is going to happen. Hopefully something is sorted though.”